Critics argue bills are “reform-lite”
A package of reform bills passed the House Tuesday morning with nearly unanimous support, and now heads to the state Senate for consideration.
H.B. 103, 104, 105, 107 and 108 passed the House unanimously with the only comments made in support of the bills, despite some representatives concerns over the reform bills not going far enough.
Speaking in support of H.B. 103, which provides for the disclosure of lobbying activities and penalties and fines for failure to disclose properly, state Rep. Babette Josephs (D – Philadelphia) expressed her disappointment at “reform-lite.”
She said she supported the bill was concerned it did not capture domestic partnerships under the same lobbying and ethics violations as married couples and families.
“The bill does improve the way we deal with lobbyists but I am very disappointed, I’m really appalled …there is a provision which will serve as a disincentive to marriage,” said Ms. Josephs. “I believe in the bills that brought domestic partners into the ambience of this bill. I consider this reform but I consider it reform light. I hope we go ahead and do a better reform.”
H.B. 103 was introduced by state Rep. Bryan Cutler (R – Lancaster).
State Rep. Mike Sturla (D – Lancaster), said he would support the bill but thought it should include provisions to stop the “revolving door” between state government and lobbyists. Mr. Sturla brought such an amendment during second consideration last week but the House voted the amendment was not germane to the legislation.
Tim Potts, co-founder and president of Democracy Rising PA, a nonprofit organization working for integrity in state government, said the package of reform bills is “alright.”
“They are also weak and they are far from giving us the best laws of their kind in the United States,” said Mr. Potts.
Referring to failed amendments to H.B. 103 to include domestic partners under lobbying disclosure, he said “those things would have helped to improve the law. We know there are folks who are living without benefit of marriage. To the extent that we don’t deal with that we end up encouraging people to do lobbying without the benefit of marriage to what otherwise we would consider their spouse. That is a loophole that begs to be closed.”
According to Mr. Frankel, approximately 10 percent or 270,000 couples in Pennsylvania are living together but not married, likely including those in state government.
There was no floor debate of H.B. 109, which would prevent legislators from creating nonprofit organizations, but it was the only reform bill to not be passed unanimously, with state Rep. Margo Davidson (D – Delaware) voting against the bill and state Rep. Joseph Preston (D – Allegheny) abstaining.
Mr. Potts’ blasted H.B. 109 to be “so vague as to be meaningless” in its ban on legislators creating nonprofit organizations whose primary purpose is to receive and distribute state funds, without any definition of what “primary purpose” constitutes.
“The things that landed [former state Sen. Vince] Fumo in jail could easily have occurred under this law without violating it,” said Mr. Potts. “You shouldn’t have legislators participating in any of the distribution of state funds once they’ve been appropriated. That simply serves the legislator’s interest in being reelected.”
Steve Miskin, spokesperson for House Republicans, said the bills passed by the House Tuesday are just the first step.
“This is the first of an entire package and together the entire package is the strongest set of reforms since the Thornburgh Administration,” said Mr. Miskin. “A lot of it’s in the works. A number of different bills dealing with pay to play, contracting reform, even further accountability bills and ethical codes of conduct and dealing with the revolving doors.”
Referring to the issues of germaneness and the amendments proposed by Democrats, Mr. Miskin said Republicans and Speaker of the House Sam Smith (R – Jefferson) want to “clean up lawmaking.”
“You see these mega-bills and it makes it hard to understand, and when you amend it how does it affect everything. That’s why he’s take a narrow focus on what’s on topic,” said Mr. Miskin.
The bills now head to the state Senate for consideration.
“Today was definitely a strong step in putting Pennsylvania agenda for trust in government back on track,” Mr. Miskin said. “It’s what we said we should do in the minority. Now we’re in the majority, we’re doing what we said.”
